Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Can you stay tonight?

"I have some urgent matters at headquarters that require my personal attention. I'll be back tonight."

The tranquility of the island was broken by the roar of helicopters at dawn.

Wen Yu stood on the empty lawn outside the villa, watching the silver-gray helicopter slowly land in the distance.

Looking at Shen Jinhuai beside her, he had already changed into a well-tailored dark suit.

Unlike his usual leisurely demeanor, he appeared exceptionally gentle and refined, yet also tall and aloof.

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Jinhuai placed a gentle kiss on Wen Yu's forehead.

"Wait for me to come back."

"Um."

Wen Yu nodded obediently, trying her best to suppress the emptiness in her heart.

Watching Shen Jinhuai step into the helicopter, which then took off and quickly became a small black dot on the horizon before disappearing into the azure sky, Wen Yu felt a tightness in her chest.

In the more than six months since she woke up, Shen Jinhuai had never left her for more than an hour, let alone for a whole day like today.

For the rest of the day, Wen Yu was absent-minded.

In the studio, she made several mistakes in the proportions when mixing colors; in the garden, she almost flooded the flowerpots while watering; when reading, she would stare at a page for a long time without turning it, her thoughts already wandering off somewhere else.

Time seemed to stretch out, with every minute and second moving slowly.

Wen Yu sat on the rooftop terrace, glancing occasionally in the direction the helicopter had disappeared.

The villa is still the same villa, and the island is still the same island.

But without Chen Jinhuai, it felt like everything was uncomfortable.

The freedom and comfort I felt on the island before are now just waiting.

For the first time, Wen Yu realized so clearly how important Shen Jinhuai was to her.

Without him by her side, Wen Yu felt uneasy at all.

As time passed and evening approached, a magnificent sunset glow appeared on the horizon.

Wen Yu's unease gradually grew.

Just then, a familiar buzzing sound came from inside.

Wen Yu happily jumped off the chair on the rooftop terrace, forgetting to put on her shoes, and ran straight downstairs.

As I stepped out of the villa, I watched the helicopter land smoothly.

The hatch opened, and Shen Jinhuai appeared.

The setting sun cast its light on the man's tall and slender figure, giving him a rough edge.

The man's brows were full of fatigue, and there was still a lingering coldness in his eyes. But when he looked up and caught sight of Wen Yu's figure in the direction of the villa, the coldness melted away instantly, leaving only the girl's familiar softness.

He frowned again when he caught sight of Wen Yu barefoot.

Wen Yu stood at the villa entrance, watching Shen Jinhuai stride towards her.

Before she could even speak, Wen Yu was swept up in the man's arms.

Why aren't you wearing shoes?

Shen Jinhuai frowned and looked at Wen Yu: "The ground is cold."

"Um."

Wen Yu didn't care about such a trivial matter as whether or not she was wearing shoes.

She nestled against Shen Jinhuai's chest, inhaling his cool, refreshing scent. Her heart, which had been wavering all day, finally settled down.

"Shen Jinhuai, don't leave me."

Wen Yu's voice was muffled.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jinhuai froze.

Feeling the soft warmth against his chest, the man's Adam's apple bobbed violently.

After a long silence, he promised in a low, hoarse voice, "Okay."

"I will never leave you as long as you need me."

Before he finished speaking, Shen Jinhuai hugged the girl in his arms even tighter.

After that day, Wen Yu's life returned to normal.

She still spends most of her time in the art studio, with Shen Jinhuai keeping her company with a book or tablet.

The afternoon sun streamed through the studio's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm shadows on the wooden floor.

Wen Yu sat in front of the new easel, focused on completing Shen Jinhuai's second portrait.

Compared to the first painting, her brushstrokes were more fluid in this one.

The brushstrokes meticulously depict the lines at the corners of the eyes of the person in the painting that only become noticeable when they smile faintly.

"The lighting and shadows here are handled very well."

The man's gentle voice rang in Wen Yu's ear.

Wen Yu turned around and saw that Shen Jinhuai had quietly come up behind her at some point.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, looked down at the painting, and smiled.

Are you done with your work?

Wen Yu happily put down her paintbrush, turned around, and quickly kissed the man's beautifully sculpted cheek.

"Um."

The smile in Shen Jinhuai's eyes deepened.

After Wen Yu kissed one side, he turned his head and offered his other cheek as well.

Wen Yu's cheeks flushed as she was amused by the man's childish behavior, but a sweet feeling welled up inside her.

She obediently placed a kiss on Shen Jinhuai's other cheek.

After a brief moment of intimacy, Shen Jinhuai took Wen Yu's hand and sat down on the swing next to the easel.

He looked carefully at the nearly finished portrait on the canvas, his gaze focused and gentle. After a long while, he sighed softly from the bottom of his heart: "Xiaoyu painted me too well."

In the painting, his eyes are warm and smiling, as if they are filled with the warmth of the whole world.

Wen Yu turned her head, wanting to say something, but met Shen Jinhuai's deep gaze as he looked at her.

The bright afternoon sunlight streamed in, pouring into the man's deep eyes without reservation.

It made his already soft eyes look even warmer, exceptionally gentle and captivating.

But the next moment, another look suddenly flashed through Wen Yu's mind.

Cold, sharp, and imbued with an intense aggression and an almost cruel focus.

Dangerous, unruly.

The gaze was fleeting, even blurry without any specific facial features, yet it made Wen Yu feel as if she were being stared at by some extremely terrifying wild beast, sending a chill down her spine.

Wen Yu's breath hitched, and her face turned pale in an instant.

"What's wrong?"

Shen Jinhuai immediately noticed Wen Yu's unusual behavior, and unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, the tenderness in his deep eyes replaced by worry: "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Wen Yu then came to her senses.

Realizing that her reaction might worry Shen Jinhuai, she lowered her eyelashes, avoiding his probing gaze, and forced a smile, trying to hide the intense unease she felt at that moment.

"No, it's nothing."

"I just suddenly feel a little dizzy."

Strange, whose gaze is that?

Wen Yu frowned slightly, trying hard to remember something, but to no avail.

Shen Jinhuai looked intently at Wen Yu.

He reached out and used his palm to feel the temperature of Wen Yu's forehead and cheeks.

"It's alright, it's not hot."

The man's voice was gentle, but his eyes subtly darkened.

A moment later, Shen Jinhuai put his arm around Wen Yu and let her lean against him.

"You must be tired after drawing for so long? Do you want to take a break?"

Wen Yu nodded and let Shen Jinhuai carry her to sit down on the sofa next to her.

She leaned against the man's chest, but the terrifying look in his eyes still lingered in her mind.

Who could it be?

"Jin Huai, have I ever known anyone who's not easy to mess with before?"

Although that look was fleeting, it carried a strange sense of familiarity.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jinhuai's arm around Wen Yu subtly twitched slightly from an angle she couldn't see.

"You did know some insignificant people before, but none of them were people you shouldn't mess with."

The man's voice was as gentle as ever.

At this point, Shen Jinhuai hugged the girl in his arms even tighter, grasped Wen Yu's hand with his large hand, and added, "Remember, no matter what, as long as I'm here, no one else can control your life."

Wen Yu didn't understand why Shen Jinhuai would say these things, but undeniably, his words and his embrace made her feel much more at ease.

Wen Yu slowly breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and faced Shen Jinhuai.

Only then did she realize that the man who was by her side every day showed an uncontrollable weariness in his eyes.

"Jin Huai, is something really difficult at the company?"

Wen Yu grasped Shen Jinhuai's hand in return, no longer caring about any eye contact.

After all, ever since he returned to headquarters some time ago, even though Wen Yu spent most of her time painting, she could feel that Shen Jinhuai was much busier than before.

Seeing that Wen Yu's thoughts had been diverted, Shen Jinhuai reached out and rubbed the back of her head: "It's just some routine stuff. But..."

The man's tone gradually became serious: "We may need to strengthen security on the island recently, as I've heard that the waters around here have been rather turbulent."

Islands, especially small islands far from the edge of Yanbian cities, are never peaceful forever.

Although Wen Yu didn't understand, she had a general idea.

She nodded and threw herself into Shen Jinhuai's arms.

Anyway, as long as Shen Jinhuai is by her side, she will be safe.

As a result, Wen Yu unconsciously felt a sense of resistance at the thought of possibly having to go away to school.

Especially that frightening and repulsive look that suddenly appeared just now.

Fortunately, after all this time, Shen Jinhuai has never brought up the matter of her going back to school, and Wen Yu has never brought it up herself.

Wait a little longer, wait a little longer, and then she can go to school.

Just then, a series of rapid phone vibrations sounded.

It's Shen Jinhuai's phone.

Shen Jinhuai rarely received work calls when he was with Wen Yu.

Wen Yu quickly told him to go and get back to work.

"Okay, I'll come over later."

Shen Jinhuai glanced at the incoming call on his phone screen, lowered his eyes and kissed Wen Yu on the forehead before turning and leaving the studio.

Once Wen Yu was the only one left in the studio, she picked up her paintbrush and continued painting.

But as I was drawing, the same look in his eyes resurfaced in my mind.

The difference this time is that there is an additional scene: in the dim light, a man with a blurred face leans down and presses his warm lips hard between Wen Yu's collarbone.

In an instant, a bright and glaring red mark appeared.

Wen Yu was on the verge of tears, biting her lip tightly, while the man leaning over her collarbone had a deep possessiveness hidden in his dark eyes.

"good……"

"This is how you look best when you wear it."

The scene abruptly ended there, and Wen Yu felt a pang of panic, gasping for breath.

My mind is a complete mess.

That man...who exactly is he?

Wen Yu knew perfectly well that the man was definitely not Shen Jinhuai.

He was self-disciplined, gentle, and patient, and would never give her such a dangerous look.

Wen Yu was very flustered and scared.

Without a second thought, she threw down her paintbrush, turned around, and left the studio.

After taking the elevator to the first floor, Wen Yu went straight to Shen Jinhuai's study.

Just as I was about to knock on the door, I heard suppressed conversation coming from inside:

"Those two brothers are quick."

"As I had planned, we should maximize the number of controllable leads abroad and lure their people there."

Wen Yu's hand, which was about to knock on the door, stopped in place.

Two brothers?

clue?

It should have been something unfamiliar, but for some reason, Wen Yu felt a vague unease in her heart.

She turned and left the study doorway, returning to her studio.

I picked up the pen again, but this time, I couldn't draw anything at all.

Wen Yu's hand trembled as she held the pen, her heart growing increasingly panicked.

Wen Yu only felt at ease when she was embraced in a familiar arms once again.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

The man's gentle voice rang in her ears, and Wen Yu's nose was filled with a familiar scent that made her feel at ease.

She opened her mouth, wanting to tell Shen Jinhuai what she had just thought of, but the words caught in her throat as she suddenly remembered what she had overheard outside the study.

Wen Yu calmed herself down, shook her head, and turned to throw herself into Shen Linhuai's arms.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the man's scent, before speaking: "It's nothing, I just suddenly lost my inspiration."

"How about I take you for a walk on the beach?"

Wen Yu shook her head, showing little interest.

Shen Jinhuai did not insist and stayed with Wen Yu in the studio.

That night, Wen Yu tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Late at night, she couldn't resist sneaking into the study on the first floor and carefully turning on the tablet computer that Shen Jinhuai usually used.

The tablet didn't have much on it, just photos of Wen Yu and Shen Jinhuai on the island.

In the photos, she is either leaning on a man's shoulder or being held in his arms. In every photo, she has a bright smile and her eyes are full of light.

Scrolling back further, there's a photo taken under a cherry blossom tree.

Cherry blossoms fall, the sun shines brightly, and the young and tender Wen Yu and the tall and handsome Shen Jinhuai face each other.

Wen Yu's face was radiant with a bright, untroubled smile, while Shen Jinhuai's eyebrows and eyes were incredibly gentle.

Yes, judging from the photos, he was much younger than he is now.

Unfortunately, Wen Yu couldn't remember when the photo was taken.

What am I doubting?

Wen Yu sighed and murmured softly, her tone full of frustration at her suspicions about Shen Jinhuai.

"Jin Huai is such a good person..."

Yes, how could she doubt a man who could so meticulously preserve every little memory between them, a man who took such good care of her in daily life, just because of a few unfounded conversations?

Although he rarely mentioned her past, and although everyone else on the island except her and Shen Jinhuai were servants or bodyguards, it didn't mean he was hiding anything from her.

Even if Shen Jinhuai was keeping it from her, he probably had a reason for doing so.

The tablet screen went dark at that moment, and the screensaver displayed a photo of Shen Jinhuai embracing her from behind, the two of them watching the sunrise over the sea.

Warm and romantic.

Wen Yu put the tablet back in its original position.

Back in her bedroom, she lay on the bed and took a deep breath.

She shouldn't have doubted it.

Since Shen Jinhuai won't tell her about the past, it means that the past is a burden for her.

It's a burden from the past, nothing to dwell on.

This time, Wen Yu quickly fell into a deep sleep.

In the next room, Shen Jinhuai turned off the surveillance camera on his phone.

He clearly saw the trusting expression on Wen Yu's face on the screen.

The man's tense back finally relaxed.

Shen Jinhuai leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

A moment later, the man opened his eyes, his gaze now calm and collected.

Wen Yu's sense of security and dependence are the result of his careful nurturing, and also something he must firmly protect.

However, Zhou Yingchen and Zhou Shiye's investigation was relentless, like a net that was tightening, as if everything he had painstakingly concealed would be torn apart at any moment.

Shen Jinhuai picked up his phone and made a call.

"How is the situation?"

The voice on the other end of the phone said, "The Zhou family is still testing the foundation, and their methods are more aggressive than before."

"Several of our outer smoke grenades have been triggered."

Shen Jinhuai's eyes darkened slightly: "Execute the second plan, give them some more clues, and lead them to investigate the shell projects in South America."

"Make the information look more credible when necessary."

"clear."

Shen Jinhuai hung up the phone, his eyes deep and somber.

He needs time.

It will take time for Wen Yu to become stronger inside, strong enough that she will have the courage to choose for herself no matter who stands in front of her.

Perhaps the gaze that suddenly appeared in her mind during the day was too terrifying, because even though she was asleep that night, Wen Yu did not sleep well at all.

She was caught in a chaotic dream.

In her dream, she was trapped in a magnificent yet suffocating cage, with two blurry, tall figures looming over her.

Their aura was cold and dangerous, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

Wen Yu felt uneasy and helpless. She wanted to escape, but before she could even take any action, they caught her and brought her back.

Tell me...to whom do you belong?

"Beg me..."

Two deep, suppressed voices echoed from the depths of the dream.

Wen Yu woke up with a start.

Her heart pounded, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

The moonlight outside the window was like water, and the bedroom was quiet.

Was it a dream?

Thankfully, it was just a dream.

Wen Yu took deep breaths, trying to dispel the unsettling feeling of panic in her dream.

Strange, why would she have such a dream?

A knocking sound rang out, followed by Shen Jinhuai's worried voice.

"Xiaoyu, may I come in?"

After receiving permission, the door was pushed open.

Shen Jinhuai walked in wearing casual pajamas, the moonlight outlining his tall and straight figure.

Seeing Wen Yu's pale face, Shen Jinhuai walked a few steps to the bedside and asked worriedly, "Did you have another dream?"

Wen Yu threw herself into the man's arms: "Jin Huai, I'm so scared..."

Wen Yu didn't know what she was afraid of.

She was just so scared.

"Don't be afraid, it's just a dream."

Shen Jinhuai's voice was low as he casually pulled out a tissue to wipe the cold sweat from Wen Yu's forehead: "I'm here, don't be afraid."

The man leaned against the headboard and pulled Wen Yu into his arms, letting her rest against his chest.

Then, like coaxing a child, he patted her shoulder repeatedly.

"Close your eyes and don't think about anything."

Wen Yu closed her eyes uneasily, hearing Shen Jinhuai's steady and powerful heartbeat mingling with the rhythmic sound of the waves outside the window.

His fresh and pleasant scent enveloped her, gradually dispelling the chill brought by the nightmare.

But for some reason, Wen Yu couldn't fall asleep even with her eyes closed.

My body and mind were on edge.

Feeling the stiffness in the person in his arms, Shen Jinhuai patted her shoulder even more gently.

Wen Yu hugged Shen Jinhuai's waist tighter, her voice choked with barely perceptible dependence: "Can you...can you stay here with me tonight? Just...just stay here with me, okay?"

Shen Jinhuai's body stiffened.

He then relaxed and responded softly, "Okay, I won't leave. Go to sleep."

Shen Jinhuai adjusted his position, carefully embraced Wen Yu, and slowly lay down together, letting her rest her head in the crook of his arm, while his other hand continued to pat her back rhythmically.

The two were very close, their body heat passing between them through their thin pajamas.

Wen Yu curled up in the man's arms, her cheek pressed against his neck, her breath filled with the reassuring scent of Shen Jinhuai.

After an unknown amount of time, Wen Yu finally relaxed completely and fell into a deep sleep.

Shen Jinhuai, however, was wide awake and remained motionless in that position, afraid of waking Wen Yu.